After the airing of differences and holding meetings since May 2, the new traffic rule has been imposed in Kurseong since Tuesday. The town witnessed four days of total transportation suspension called by the Janmukti Chalak Mahasangh.
Expressing satisfaction, town resident Bhusan Chettri said the traffic jam problem in Kurseong was getting out of hand, but with the new traffic rule in place now, the roads have become spacious. Numerous accidents both big and small used to occur on the main road due to heavy traffic congestion and now such incidents will take place hopefully. With traffic movements under proper regulation, people of all ages have got space to move about freely, he noted, adding it however, remains to be seen how long drivers and vehicle owners will continue to follow the new rule.
A GJM supporter who wished not to be named said numerous stirs were taking place over the new traffic setup over the past few days, but people must understand some drivers have been adversely affected too However, the new setup is for the good of the town and its residents. He added if people do not understand the move of implementing the new traffic rule and obey it, things would be a repeat of what happened to the INS Bus terminus that is still under improper usage.
A new parking place is presently in the process of construction along with a multi-shopping complex near the Darjeeling Polytechnic Institute, but if drivers continue parking their vehicles alongside the roads of town, the new parking zone will also become useless.
A commuter from Siliguri who travels regularly to Darjeeling expressed happiness when he heard about the new development. He said he has to go to Darjeeling several times for business, but he used to get held up every time by traffic jams in Kurseong town. He said passengers hurrying down to NJP to catch their trains have missed their schedules due to frequent traffic jams.
Kurseong SDO U Swaroop said the administration has deployed around 70 personnel including policemen to ensure the new traffic rule is followed for the interest of a better traffic system in Kurseong. He added he has requested drivers to lower their speed to 15 km/hr while passing through the town area for the safety of pedestrians. (EOIC)